To be honest, second stage was much more excruciating — probably because there wasn’t any live-scoring but in general the vibe was much more intense. Getting through second is usually the hardest part for the guys who have never made it to finals, along with the mini-tour journeymen, not to mention the veterans who had a terrible season.

Coming into the excruciating long week at PGA West for Q-school finals, Steven Bowditch felt like his form was taking a turn for the better. When you’re fighting to re-earn your job–the Australian had conditional status on the PGA Tour last year–the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

The Australian shot an eight-under 64 on the Nicklaus Tournament course to take a one-shot lead through 90 holes heading into Monday’s sixth and final round.

The atmosphere at Q-school finals is indescribable. I mean, I can try my best to convey it, but it’s something you have to experience, especially because there’s nothing else like it. So it’s truly a shame this is the last year of the current system which started in 1965.

The vibe of the week is a mixture of nerves, excitement, uncertainty, agony, and camaraderie amongst the players and caddies. It’s also a bit frantic and overwhelming because there’s so much going on and most guys are on kind of on edge in a way (though they try not to show it). Still, it’s my favorite tournament. Before the six-day marathon starts, it’s somewhat chill, but obviously, with each day, it becomes more pressure-packed and you see less smiles and more grim faces.

Charlie Beljan's Cinderella story started when he earned his card at Q-school finals in 2011

As longtime WUP readers know, Q-school is my favorite tournament to cover all season. (Heck, I even went to second stage this year!–talk about the nerve-wracking atmosphere I’ve ever experienced.) Rather than going to Tiger Woods’ member-guest 22-man invite-only World Challenge in the L.A. area, I drove about three hours east to the desert, more specifically PGA West in La Quinta, for what I consider the most intriguing event of the year. Especially since 2012 is the LAST Q-SCHOOL EVER (as we know it — there will no longer be a direct pathway to the PGA Tour).

Let’s take a moment of silence to celebrate and remember 45 years of the only professional sporting event where you can start at Q-school pre-qualifying with no status and then play up to four different stages (full tournaments with strong fields) in the grueling process, which ends with the six-round finals, to earn full status on the PGA Tour for the following season. Ain’t that great?

On the eve of the joint teleconference by the USGA and R&A on Wednesday morning from 8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. (EST), it’s widely purported that golf’s governing bodies will announce that the decision has been made to ban “anchoring,” aka the putting method used with belly and broomstick putters. Which allegedly will not go into effect until 2016 (because the USGA reviews the Rules of Golf every four years, don’t ask me why).

The short of it via industry chatter and insiders: Anchoring against the fulcrum (body) will be illegal, but golfers will still be allowed to anchor the putter against the arm — a la Matt Kuchar. You can use a long putter as long as it isn’t propped or wedged against a part of the body. The actual wording of the rule will be interesting because of the gray area that comes up in this game and the potential lawsuits.

There’s always an enormous amount of pressure for players trying to advance to finals, but this year there seems to be even more than usual. Why? The reply was simple: “It’s the last year” or “It’s the last chance.” (Or as I like to call it: “Q-school deathwatch.”)

Friday’s second round offered tantalising glimpses of what Tiger Woods was once capable of, but Saturday’s third round failed to yield the redemptive moment the world of golf anticipated, if not quite hoped for. Again, as has happened on so many occasions since his sudden fall from the summit of the game, he failed to build momentum and, as the day wore on, found himself losing touch with the leaders.

I’m quoting the great Charlie Sheen, who quoted the great Allen Iversonduring an interview with Jeff Rossen of NBC’s Today. Sheen, who has been the talk of the town for, well, being Charlie Sheen, the many loony (yet so absurd, it’s addicting) things he’s been saying lately and suing CBS, was asked if he’d ever missed a day of work. “Not a day that cost anybody any money,” said Sheen, rolling his eyes. “I missed practice. I’m talking about practice, to quote the great Allen Iverson. Practice! Come on, guys, we’re talking about practice.”